Pooches and their owners from near and far put their best paw forward at the 2019 Purebred Allbreeds Dog Show in Bundaberg.
The two-day event at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct had 300 dogs of all shapes, sizes from the tallest dog breed to one of oldest on the planet all vying for the prestigious Best In Show award.
Siobhan Webster with Athena the saluki, a dog best known for hunting primarily on sight rather than scent, travelled from Brisbane to attend the 2019 Purebred Allbreeds Dog Show in Bundaberg.
“We enter a lot of dog shows and this is my first time in Bundaberg,” she said.
Siobhan, 19, said her parents had been breeding salukis for 30 years and said the bred was one of the oldest in the world and was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game animals.
With a reserved temperament Athena’s long legs and ears were sure to catch the attention of 2019 Purebred Allbreeds Dog Show judges.
“Judges will look at whether she pays attention and behaves,” Siobhan said.
“They will watch her interaction and also how she looks.”
Athena will be competing for Best Bitch and if she wins, she will compete for reserve breed.
Siobhan her family owed a stud kennel and she said for her it was important not to have show dogs desexed as it would help keep the purebred lines going.
Just a pair of Samoyeds
Joan Webb from Burpengary and Lynda Campbell from Bribie Island are regulars when it comes to competing in dog shows, and with their Samoyeds Luka and Marnie, they enjoyed their time on the road.
With a thick double-layered coat Samoyeds are named after the Samoyedic people of Siberia; they have a gentle temperament and are often described as a giant ball of white fluff.
Joan said the Samoyeds breed was thought to be more than 33,000 years old with cave paintings showing them from the time as reindeer herders.
“Samoyeds are like meerkats – they like to look around, and that’s why we have the table set up,” Joan said.
“We will often go away, and they will just be sitting on the table when we get back!”
With the Queensland weather Lynda said it was important to keep the Samoyeds cool and it was easy enough with portable fans and wet towels.
“It’s probably a lot less work then you think – for a show dog,” Lynda said.
“They can take up to minus 40 degrees in temperature and they use their tail to wrap around their nose which helps them when they are breathing in the minus 40-degree wind.
“The undercoat is wool, which is an insulation for heat and cold; and people even make clothing out of their coats because it’s just like wool, like sheep.”
Both ladies agreed saying the Samoyed weren’t more work than having children as Joan giggled saying they were “more enjoyable”!
“We even stay in pet-friendly hotels when we are on the road, because if we are hot – they are hot!” Joan said.
International judges have a keen eye
President of the Hervey Bay Kennel Club Robert Armatys said the dog show was based here because the facilities in Bundaberg were the best in the area.
“We have close to 300 dogs at three shows this weekend,” Robert said.
“We have all breeds and two international judges from China and other judges from New South Wales.
“The judges have come from China, just for this and no other event, so it’s special.
“These are the last shows for year and definitely bring people to the region and it’s all about the promotion of purebred dogs.
“The Bundaberg Council provide fantastic grounds for the dog clubs to use.”
Robert said a breeder who bred purebred dogs was focused on health and confirmation.
“We breed healthy dogs that are true to their breed standard,” Robert said.
“Confirmation showing is big world wide and these tow well-known and respected judges are here with a lot of experience.
“It’s going to be a tough competition to win best in show.”
A judge’s decision is based on what the perfect dog looks like according to the breed standard.
Robert said visitors from the community were always welcome to attend the 2019 Purebred Allbreeds Dog Show which finishes Sunday afternoon or any of the other shows when they come to town.
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